Community Health Assessment / Improvement Plan

In June 2012, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services completed the first Community Health Assessment (CHA) for Maricopa County. This collaborative effort was the culmination of an 18-month engagement process that involved a wide variety of local public health system partners, education and social service agencies, community members, and other stakeholders.

Assessments were conducted using a variety of methods from health data analysis to surveys and focus groups with several objectives in mind including:

Health Priorities

Through this systematic research and data collection process, the Team identified five issues as health priorities to be addressed in the five-year Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for Maricopa County.

The five issues are:

Access to Health Care

Cardiovascular Disease

Diabetes

Lung Cancer

Obesity

Vision

Empowered communities working together to REACH optimal health and quality of life for all.

Four Sectors of the Community

Task forces representing four different sectors of the community have been formed to develop plans with emphasis on utilizing evidence based-strategies and policy, systems, and environmental approaches to impact health priorities. The following are the four sectors.

Where We Learn - Education

Where We Live - Community

Where We Receive Care - Healthcare

Where We Work - Work Sites

The CHIP will become the strategic blueprint for how public health and community partners will work collectively in making Maricopa County a healthier place to live and work. Data will be reviewed continually over the five-year cycle of the CHIP, both to monitor progress toward identified goals, and to establish new goals and priorities as necessary.